News Releases

SCE Says Save Energy, Save Money With Programmable Thermostats

ROSEMEAD, Calif., August 12, 2002-With hot weather still ahead, Southern California Edison (SCE) is reminding customers to install programmable thermostats to lower their energy use, receive a rebate and keep cool at the same time.

"Programmable thermostats are a great way to lower electric bills during the hot weather months," said John Nall, manager of SCE's residential energy efficiency programs. "Not only can customers receive a $20 rebate, but they can also see lower energy bills over the lifetime of the equipment."

Programmable thermostats can be set to turn air conditioners on or off at specific times, ensuring homes are only cooled when needed. Models qualifying for a rebate can be found at local hardware stores for as little as $35. The thermostats can be easily installed by customers in a matter of minutes.

By lowering energy use, a customer may also be eligible for California's 20/20 Rebate program, which automatically gives a customer 20% off the summer electric bill for any month, from July to October 29, 2002, in which the customer reduces electricity use by at least 20% when compared with the customer's electricity usage during the corresponding month in 2000.

For more information on programmable thermostats and other rebate offers, call (800) 736-4777 or visit www.sce.com and click on "Save Energy & Money" and "Rebates and Offers."

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An Edison International company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of more than 12 million via 4.3 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within central, coastal and Southern California. For more information on the California electricity market, see www.sce.com.